Luxury fashion house Hermès has entered the audio market with the announcement of its first-ever over-ear wireless headphones, setting a new standard for opulence in personal audio. The price tag? An eye-watering $15,000—roughly equivalent to the cost of a small car.
Hermès' First Foray into Headphones
While Hermès is no stranger to high-end audio—having previously released a jukebox, a boom box, and a cubic speaker—this marks the brand’s debut in the headphone space. The new headphones are being developed by Hermès’ Ateliers Horizons workshop in Paris, renowned for crafting some of the brand’s most coveted products. The workshop is collaborating with undisclosed manufacturing partners to handle the sound engineering.
Design and Craftsmanship
True to Hermès’ heritage, the headphones will feature hand-stitched cowhide leather and will be available in a palette inspired by the iconic Kelly bag: "naturel," black, chocolate, "rouge H," and Prussian blue. The attention to detail and luxury materials are expected to set these headphones apart from mainstream offerings.
What We Know About the Specs
Technical specifications remain under wraps, but early glimpses suggest the headphones may employ planar magnetic drivers—a technology known for delivering superior audio fidelity compared to standard dynamic drivers. The headphones will support both wired and wireless listening and promise a custom-tuned “Hermès sound.”
Planar magnetic options are rare in the wireless headphone market, but Hermès’ significant investment could help overcome the engineering challenges typically associated with this technology.
Availability and Target Audience
Set to launch this summer, these headphones are clearly aimed at a niche audience of luxury enthusiasts and collectors. As Hermès’ Ateliers Horizons creative director Axel de Beaufort explains, “We need to understand the engineering of things. It doesn’t mean that we do the engineering, but we need to understand and we need to be able to push boundaries.”
For those who can afford them, Hermès’ headphones promise not just a listening experience, but a statement of style and exclusivity.
